Cigarette Bans: Lost Tax Revenue?

More and more states across the country are adopting tobacco bans in their prisons. In fact, half of the states in the U.S. have ...

More and more states across the country are adopting tobacco bans in their prisons. In fact, half of the states in the U.S. have already enacted bans in their prisons. The reason? Aside from letting inmates and guards enjoy smoke-free air, the ban helps states save money by bringing down health care costs.

At the same time, more and more states are also increasing their cigarette taxes. In 2009, 14 states and the District of Columbia raised cigarette taxes-bringing the national average to $1.34 per pack. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that was only the tenth time since 1950 that so many states have raised cigarette taxes at once.

After taking a look at a map of states with tobacco-free prisons and another of states' cigarette taxes, I noticed something pretty interesting: Of the 10 states with the highest cigarette taxes, only one has a ban on tobacco products in its prisons. Could the prison health care costs for these high-tax states be dwarfed by their cigarette tax revenue?

With states looking for ways to counterbalance budget cuts, one might wonder exactly how much money could be saved by banning tobacco use in their prisons--or by allowing it.